Your Smile
by toostupidtocare
Summary: The last part of Synchronicity features Len's point of view as he continues his search for his twin sister, Rin. As the Diva sings her life out, he must find the courage to stand up to the dragon, and fight.
1. Prologue

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

_Kimi o Sagasu Sora_

_Hikari to Kage no Rakuen_

_Anatano Egao Ga ~ Your Smile ~_

Searching. Searching forever, for that lost piece in my heart. I know that this missing part is somewhere far, far to the east. I will find this fragment. It has floated away from me, on the fresh breeze, as long years begin to escape. So I begin my journey, to find this girl, whose voice I can hear in my head. It points me in the correct direction, forward.

Because she is the missing piece to my heart.


	2. Chapter 1

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_Without a certain destination, I walk on the road stretching to the east"_

Her voice rings inside my head, again, for the fifth time. I hear her singing a song, a beautifully, tear jerking song, laced with a weaving melody, something enchanting. Her high, clear voice hits every note perfectly, but there is sadness in her voice. The music becomes hauntingly familiar, like a soothing lullaby from my past. It brings out the ache in my heart. I know I must find her, but doubt seeps through my bones. I am not sure.

I do not know her name. I do not know anything, except for the look of her eyes when she smiles, and the otherworldly voice she possesses. But somehow, I know that our destinies intertwine with each other. We are needed in this world, but together. I want to see her smile, not in my mind, but for real. To hold her hands, to sing with her, I want to do all of this. I want to embrace her, to hold her in my arms, to feel her warmth against mine.

"Len," a familiar name calls my voice.

Turning my head slightly, I see that Kaito is shifting his robes so he can sit down next to me. I pat the sandy ground next to me and smile at him. Sometimes, his robes were such a pain, but he wore them anyways.

"You know, you really should change back into your pants and stuff," I say, thoroughly amused.

Kaito gives me a sour look, hating the fact that I was gloating at him. It was only several days ago that the rain had finally stopped. The air was damp and humid, and we trudged along in our heavy capes and clothing. Unbeknownst to Kaito, there was a conveniently placed puddle in his path. While he was too busy scanning the area for who-knows-what, he tripped and fell into the puddle. His pants were soaked in mud, and he took it off in exchange for his voluminous robes.

Of course, that was before everything that happened.

Before we found the cave, before we found that mage, Miku. I had collapsed, but while she was distracted, I ripped off her mask. She had collapsed of fear—or exhaustion. Either way, after we revived her, she told of us everything. How our mother was arrested, how we were separated from birth. How she was taken to become the dragon's songstress. However, what Miku didn't know was my sister's real name; because she was the Diva, her name was Diva. But what I did know was that she was my sister, my twin sister, and she needed me to rescue her.

"We still have the rest of the cave to explore," Kaito mentions. "Aren't you excited to see if we can find Diva?"

"I'm…yes, I'm ready to find Diva…" He must have seen the hesitation on my face.

"No. You're not. You're scared, for this dragon, who might kill her because of you. Right?" Kaito suggests this quietly, picking apart what was going through my mind. I tensed up, knowing that he could read every expression on my face. "It's okay," he says softly, understanding. "It's okay. We're with you. Let's go. We'll find her."

I stand up, and dust myself off silently. Despite the lingering fear that weighed heavily against my limbs, I knew that I would be okay. We had to continue through. Kaito and I trudge over to where Gakupo, Meiko, and Miku are resting. Their eyes bore holes in me. I stare back, until they drop their glances. They know how important it is to me.

One by one, they get up and face us. Kaito turns, beckoning for me to follow him. I watch Kaito's blue-clad back, and I force my feet to follow. I know I must find her.

I must find her smile.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Zero-G Studio. On my other FF.N account, I wrote chapters around 2000 words, but I'm making these shorter. This is to motivate myself into posting more, since the expectations are lower. So, I'm sorry about the shortness, but it cannot be helped. Anyhow, I hope you guys liked it. Please review if you have the time~


	3. Chapter 2

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_The only one who accompanies me is my shadow"_

As we step into the dank cave, the humid moisture sticks to our clothes. Outside, the sun was leaving hues of purples, reds, oranges, and yellows in streaks as it left the sky. The incoming night chilled the air, but did not nullify the cave's warmth. The warmth that came from the dragon—the presence was reinforced by the smell that made us all wrinkle our noses. The cave progressively got darker, and we take out our lanterns to light the way.

I clutch my necklaces, the bass clef and the treble clef. I knew for sure that this treble clef belongs to Diva—but somehow had left it on the road to the east. Holding my breath, we tensely take steps forward, letting the light dissolve the insistent darkness.

We continue through the winding tunnels; the noise of our clothing echoes off the walls. I hear a sob erupt from behind us, and think it surely must be a mistake, until I turn to face Miku.

"I cannot do this," she says hysterically. "I cannot rebel against the people that made me this way."

Gakupo, ever the gentleman, kneels down to reassure her. "Lady Miku, please don't worry about it. We understand that your loyalty lies with the dragon."

I, too, soften. "Yes, do not worry. There are enough of us to carry on." There is silence after my words, and I wonder if what I said was right.

Miku continues to cry softly, her frail body shaking. Meiko and Kaito look at each other anxiously. There is no time to lose.

"Listen, Lady Miku," Gakupo says kindly. "Why don't you say here and wait for us?" Given that Gakupo had a way with his gentle demeanor; it was no surprise that Miku calmed down.

"You may have liberated me, but I'm sorry I cannot go with you. Everything that you did…I'm sorry for fighting you," she says bitterly.

I shake my head in response. "I'm sure that you just meant to protect what you had to. Stay here and wait for us. We will come back."

"Alright, time to go," Meiko says sharply. She is not in the mood for heartfelt talks. Now that there is the opportunity to fight, surely her veins must be pumping adrenaline.

"Aw, don't be cruel, Meiko," Kaito says pleasantly, knowing he is picking a fight. "Let's stay a while for Miku to calm down."

Despite Miku, who was clutching the wall, silently leaking tears, Meiko was not to be outdone. "No, we must go now. There is no time to waste, right, Len?"

She understands that if I stay any longer, my Diva might die. And I, too, may lose my courage altogether.

I take a deep breath and say, "Yes, Kaito, Meiko, Gakupo, we must go. We must save my sister."

The unspoken words linger in the air.

'And kill the dragon.'

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Zero-G Studio. Please review if you have the time~


	4. Chapter 3

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_I etch your distant voice onto my blank map"_

"Wait!" Miku's face is stony—young, defiant, and set in stone. Her stubbornness pokes through at just the right moment. I refrained from sighing—what part of 'we must go now' does she not understand? Nonetheless, she does not release us; she is not ready for us to leave her.

"Please don't," her voice is cracked and petrified. "You cannot win. The dragon…the dragon is too strong. It will kill you." She chokes softly.

We have already predicted this outcome. Still, we will charge forward, not thinking about the future consequences. The unspoken intentions imply that Kaito, Meiko, and Gakupo are going to do all they can to keep me alive.

"We know, Lady Miku," Gakupo says, with no tremors in his voice.

"We are strong, and will fight bravely," Miku pitches in. That's easy for her to say—she is the valiant one.

"We will come back, Miku," Kaito smiles brightly at her. Under his voice, there is an undercurrent. One of us may not come back.

"It's huge and so powerful…" Miku's voice is fearful, with traces of worry. "How can you…?" But her words were only heard by her, and I barely understand them as it echoes through the cave's walls. The rest of us continue further, our confidence decreasing with every step.

We make our way through the tunnel, until we hear new sounds echo back to us. They come from ahead, and we glance at each other nervously. The sound of our footsteps and clothing cannot be silenced—we stand a chance of being discovered early, losing our element of surprise. I glare at Meiko, who is making the most noise; her armor pieces clink loudly together.

I needn't have worried. The more we walk forward, the less I become concerned with surprise, and the more with the killing.

The sounds of a dragon roaring becomes awfully clear, it booms through the tunnels and shakes the earth we stand on. The closer we get to the dragon, the more pebbles seem to pelt us from the ceiling. Although we sustain no damage, we are more terrified than ever—or at least I was, and I was not going to deny that. The ground trembles, and we gingerly keep to the moving walls as we try to move forward. I think I hear something else, perhaps the dragon's tail slamming into the earth.

I strain my ears, and I hear something different within this thunderous mess. I know for sure that it is my sister's voice, but it is high, and difficult to listen to. I grip in my hands her necklace. I know for sure that the girl singing to the dragon must be my sister. This necklace belongs to her and her only.

I walk faster and faster, trying to find her. We're almost there. Her voice becomes louder and louder as I get closer and closer, and I allow myself to indulge in her voice. The dragon should not be the only one to here this. It is such a beautiful voice, the first I've heard of it in reality, and not just in my head.

It stops.

Oh, Diva. Why did your voice stop?

It could only mean one thing. I sprint for the cavern, for Diva, for the dragon.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. Please review if you have the time~


	5. Chapter 4

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_As I look for whom it belongs to"_

The cavern, we see, is larger than any of us had expected. Miku's networks of caves were large and spacious, with gaps reaching across the floor. The ceilings gave the guise that they were held up by giant columns of stone. It was naturally impossible for the cave to be formed that way; I suspect that Miku had used her magic. I'd have to ask her later. I crane my neck up to see the ceiling but the shadows obscure it. Underneath, the space was so large that I wonder how it was created. It was certainly a masterpiece, even compared to Miku's cave.

The dragon's back faces us, and we cannot see the Diva. All there is are mountains of black spikes and ridges, which look quite frightening and dangerous. It is huge, nearly taking up one third of the gigantic cavern. Even from where we stand, twenty feet from the lengthy and thick tail, we can sense the power the dragon emits.

It was no wonder that so many people feared it, revered it, obeyed it, and even were compelled to protect it. Luka. Ruko. The guards that took away my mother, and separated myself from my sister. Miku. How could they do this to the rest of us, whose heart has been broken over so many times? Me. My sister. Teto, the previous Diva. Meiko. My mother. Kaito. And Gakupo, who used to love Luka.

Why, why, why? Why did you betray us all?

I shake myself off my thoughts. I had to think about this rationally. The dragon was actually—

No. No thinking this time.

The dragon flicks its tail and we doge silently. We signal to each other and begin to move. Gakupo would distract the dragon by fighting face to face. In short, he was the most capable of taking on the most dangerous job. Kaito would scale up the dragon to cut off its head, and I would save my sister. Meiko would protect my sister.

The four of us pull out our swords: Gakupo's katana, my short blade, Meiko's broadsword, and Kaito's long sword. Something tugs at me as I watch this scene, but I push it away and focus on what is ahead. We do not say anything. Deep in our heart of hearts, we know that this will not end well.

Gakupo sprints off to the side so he can skirt around the dragon's massive body. In a moment, the dragon blocks us from our view of him, but we hear his shout, from the other side of the gleaming multitude of scales. The dragon turns its head and sends a cascade of scales to shift, like a man flexing his muscles. When it receives its first threat, Kaito has already disappeared. The flashes of dark blue are barely visible as my comrade clambers over the body.

The roaring of the dragon vibrates through our bodies.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. As you may have noticed, it doesn't go exactly with the light novel. However, they are only minor details, so please do not ask! Please review if you have the time~


	6. Chapter 5

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_We are destined to go further and further, without an end"_

The dragon roars again, but this time the sound is longer, louder, and more like the tolling of bells. I blink; is this laughter? Perhaps the dragon perceives Gakupo as no threat to its well being. Given, that was a very reasonable thought to have, but I know that Gakupo is giving the fight everything he has, so why should this creature mock him for it?

This creature. It's not human, so it can't half way understand the values we hold.

I struggle to comprehend what is going on, and jump when Meiko stabs me in the side with her blunt end of her blade.

"Hey, that'll actually make a mark," I protest loudly.

Meiko silences me with a glare, and I smile nervously back at her. She was just as eager as me to destroy this dragon. After all, it had stolen her best friend…how much heartbreak do we have to shoulder before all this is over? For some reason, I can't believe that it will all stop with the death of the dragon. I grit my teeth in frustration.

"Let's go…" I hiss.

I sprint off, maneuvering my sword into some sort of defensive position. I turn my head to the left and see that Gakupo is engaging in battle, and Kaito is scrabbling to maintain a hold on the dragon's every-moving head. Huh? Squinting, I see that Kaito's face is turning green at the edges; I try to stifle a giggle as I continue forward. There is nothing to laugh about.

"Where is she?" I hear Meiko growl.

"I don't know either!" I reply. I worry for the Diva. What is she doing? Isn't her role to sing to the dragon? It would make sense if she stays by dragon's side, yet, when we arrived she was not there. Frowning, I run without watching the dragon.

It came as a great surprise as I was suddenly swept off my feet. With a roar matching in the ferocity of the dragon's, I leap up to face it. But with a sigh and a hunching of the shoulders, I noticed that it was still preoccupied with Gakupo. What was that?

Shrugging it off, I make a complete turn of the cavern. There is an exit, but it didn't look probable. Oh, why did we not foresee this issue? Here, Gakupo and Kaito are fighting for their lives, as Meiko and I anxiously scan the room for any clue as to where the Diva can be. I run, and run, and run, but to what end? Finally, I nod at Meiko. She leaps into the dragon's awareness, to help out with Gakupo as much as possible.

I myself go a different path. I exit the cavern at a quick pace, and wind through the tunnels. There is nothing there, and I feel hopelessness settle within my heart. Where could she possibly be?

She couldn't be…dead. There's just no way. I sink to my knees. No, no, no. That's not right, I tell myself reasonably. How could she be dead? Diva? No, she has a spirit like I do, a strong spirit that is unwilling to give up. She could not die without meeting me, because then I would not meet her either. I shake my head of the visions of my twin, lying in agony as she died a slow, painful, death.

"Len! Len!" I hear. What is this? I turn my head, which suddenly begins to feel a lot heavier. I lift myself up to my feet. I…can't…hear…

"Len! Come back, please, Len!" Someone's deep voice, strained with worry, fear, and something else.

Follow the voice, I tell myself. Who could it be? I take off in the direction of the voice that rings through the tunnels. The closer I travel back to the cavern, the more I can hear. It is Kaito's voice. I am confused as to why Meiko is not calling for me, as Meiko's voice is arguably the loudest in our group. What was Kaito calling me for? I have not found Diva…

As I rush back into the cavern, the darkness that lies in my heart recedes. I look up, and in the clutches of the dragon is the Diva herself?

Where? What? My thoughts are in a mess. I am aware of myself yelling her name. That's right. It is her name; I know it now, as if someone had plucked it and placed into my mind.

Her blonde head, the same as mine, turns to face me, and she smiles weakly at me, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Len," she mouths. It pleases me that she knows my name, and now I know hers.

"Rin!"

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. As you may have noticed, it doesn't go exactly with the light novel. However, they are only minor details, so please do not ask! Please review if you have the time~


	7. Chapter 6

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_______I search for the fragments of my heart and wander aimlessly_ "

'Is this it?' Kaito thinks. He believes that he may have found the dragon's only weak spot—its eyes. He cautiously lowers himself onto the head, his legs bracing against the neck. And then he stabs the eyes, over and over, and the dragon roars in response to the pain. 'Good,' he thinks. It is heart breaking to kill such a magnificent creature but it must be done.

But it is not enough. As he evades the claws that reach up to knock him down, he looks for any place that might lead to the dragon's downfall. No matter where Kaito looked, though, he saw mountains and mountains of scales.

'This is impossible,' he thinks. 'It is our fault this is happening. We should have seen the dragon first, without making assumptions. If we had known earlier, then we would have changed our strategy. There is no way I can cut off its head.' He is remorseful at the fact that he cannot fulfill his part of the plan, but he is also relieved that he is not expected to kill.

Kaito slashes at the armor-like scales and receives no results. Frustrated, he stabs the dragon randomly; his heart sinking as all he is rewarded with is the clinking of scales. There are no chinks in the protective shell.

He is hit by a sudden thought. 'Perhaps the horns…?'

At this passing muse, he jabs the sword in the space between the horn and the neighboring scale. He did not expect the dragon to rear again. It must have been extremely painful—the dragon even shook its head to shake Kaito off. The blue-haired man congratulated himself for instinctively grabbing the horn and staying upright on the dragon. However, he could say less about the sword—it had fallen from his sweaty grip, and is currently clinking its way down the dragon's black body.

'Oh. Crap.' And that was an understatement.

Gakupo spares Kaito a quick glance and nearly has a heart attack. He watches anxiously as Kaito's sword slips through his grasp and works it way downward. Gakupo turns his attention back to the dragon, not sparing another thought on Kaito, except for 'what are you doing, Kaito?' But fighting the dragon had occupied every part of his mind, and Gakupo was relieved that the dragon was focused upon him as well.

'Kaito, hurry and retrieve your sword before the dragon realizes that you're weaponless!' The purple-haired man shakes his head in disbelief. His companions were the ones with the easy jobs, yet they were so klutzy that they couldn't perform the simplest of tasks right! 'No way,' he thinks. 'I don't need this. I can't afford to be distracted…'

He is already worn out, his stamina depleting quickly from sprinting everywhere, dodging the dragon's attack. Although the dragon is heavy and slow, his power was unmatched, and its reflexes proved to be a challenge. In contrast, Gakupo was merely a mosquito, albeit a highly irritating one that was not dead yet. Just the tail had Gakupo spinning around in circles. Now that Kaito was without a sword, the claws now reoccupied themselves onto Gakupo.

'How am I still alive?' he asks himself in disbelief. 'Oh, that was a dumb question, because I won't be alive for much longer! Thanks, Kaito,' he thinks wryly. He looks over again, and Kaito is shimmying down the dragon like nobody's business, trying to retrieve his sword.

The sword… Gakupo spins off to the side, from the dragon's view, and sees the sword lying some distance away. But he was closer to it than Kaito, and he sprints to pick it up. The dragon turns its body, infuriated at the disappearance of his prey. Gakupo quickly grabs the fallen sword as he returns back into the view of the dragon. He doesn't notice the blonde girl that is now visible.

"Kaitoooo!" Gakupo shouts desperately. Holding the katana and long sword made him feel so awkward. 'Dammit,' he thinks. They should have equipped themselves with weapons other than the swords. It was disturbing how Kaito is defenseless…

Meiko runs to Gakupo, her armor accompanying her arrival. She brandishes her own broad blade and nudges him aside.

"Rescue him," she orders. He smiles in response; she must've seen how exhausted he was. He runs and runs, and passes the sword back to Kaito. As he turns, he trips over a girl. Curiously, Gakupo pulls her out, and sees that her images are a mirror's reflection of Len's. He holds in a gasp. Slinging her over his shoulder, he forces himself up to where Kaito was, and tries not to think about the girl's condition.

The blood…

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. Please review if you have the time~


	8. Chapter 7

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_Your singing voice calms my aching soul"_

Meiko rushes into the fight with the dragon. It looks as if Gakupo and Kaito require her assistance. She frowns; where is Kaito's sword? And what is Gakupo doing running around like a maniac, wasting energy?

"Gakupo," she calls and her voice carries over the dragon's roaring. She sees Gakupo's back stiffen, and she knows that she is heard. She comes up from behind and pushes Gakupo away. "Go, go, you know what to do."

She bends her knees and lowers her center of gravity. Taking a deep breath, she holds out her sword to the incoming tail and slashes away. The tail hits her, as it is more agile than Meiko in her half-suit of armor. She flies through the air, blown backwards by the blow, and smashes into the ground. Groaning, she gets up, but she has not sustained any injuries, save for a forming bruise.

'Hmm,' she thinks warily. 'That's strange. The raw power should've knocked me out…so I guess the tail really isn't a threat.' She realizes that the only things of any danger are probably the claws and the teeth. On closer examination, the claws looked a bit dull, and she suspected that, if aimed in the right place, only her armor would be scratched.

'Think, Meiko, think,' she tells herself. Lunging for the underbelly, she stabs, but seeing that there are no results, she recovers and leaps away. The claws nearly miss her, and the armor shrieks in agony. Dodge, dodge, slash. It was a never ending pattern. Gritting her teeth in frustration, Meiko rolls across the cool ground and jumps back to her feet. Shaking her head, she acknowledges what she really thought was the truth. 'This is going to be a long fight.'

After a while, Meiko is exhausted of facing off with the dragon. Deciding that there were easier tactics to be used, she leaps up onto the dragon's large thighs and moves her way up the back. It is a long and tough process. The creature shifts, shakes, rears, and even decides to roll on its back in order to get rid of the pests. The group is battered, but in contrast, except for the scratches inflicted in the areas between scales, the dragon is not stopped whatsoever. Meiko reunites with her companions and clutches onto a ridge for dear life, else be impaled straight through.

'To this monster, we are merely ants,' Kaito muses to himself.

'We cannot defeat the dragon with this strategy…' Meiko thinks fiercely, but refrains from mentioning it to the group.

'Oh, I do hope Lady Miku will not find any of us dead. How disappointing that would be,' Gakupo thinks.

No one speaks their doubts out loud.

"Well, time to gorge the eyes out," Meiko says with a false cheerfulness that sounds unnatural. Once the eyes pop out, a gush of blood flows out of the sockets. Meiko nearly doubles over, clutching her stomach. There were just some things she couldn't handle.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. Please review if you have the time~


	9. Chapter 8

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_I won't give up finding you"_

"Oh, yeah," Gakupo speaks up. "I think I have Len's sister here. She seems to be in pretty bad shape. Oh, well, so do you, Meiko; you look pretty green to me."

Meanwhile, Kaito busily cuts of the horns of the dragon. "Ah, well, while we're at it," Kaito smiles.

"How can you smile in this time of crisis? Ohhhh…" Meiko starts off snarling, but the sudden rocking of the dragon adds to the pain in her face. She wasn't close to admitting she was sick, though. Why would she do anything like that?

"Touchy," Kaito mutters.

"Now, Kaito, don't be rude to the lady," Gakupo frowns. 'He does realize she pretty much saved him, right? On the other hand, I really have to ask why we're talking about this right now…'

The three slide off the dragon's back. Meiko goes back to the task of hacking off the tail. Kaito assists gladly, while Gakupo goes back around to distract the dragon again.

"Urghhh!" Kaito cuts the vile thing off.

Meiko is dumbfounded. "You know, the most it would ever do is bruise you," Mieko mutters out the side of her mouth. She is jealous that someone as weak as Kaito would be the one who cut it off. Kaito shoots her a glare, as if to say, "I heard that!" She shakes her head and ducks underneath the dragon belly. It would've been the safest spot to be, until the dragon realizes they are there, and the group makes a hasty retreat.

"How will it die?" Meiko wonders out loud. "Besides for the head, maybe there is another way, like through the heart. Both are equally impossible. It really is well-fortified…"

As they strategize, they cut off the claws. "Whoo, lucky streak," Kaito shouts gleefully.

Gakupo sighs and they run around to avoid the dragon's wrath—it was like dodging one hundred arrows at once. "We should have listened to Lady Miku. We shouldn't have dived in without knowing what was going to happen. In fact, we should've teased out details from her."

"Your fault," Meiko says, almost inaudible. She didn't have the breath to spare—first of all, she had done the most work, and second, she was winded from the weight of her armor.

"What, Meiko?" Kaito says in an obnoxiously loud voice.

As Meiko turns to hit Kaito in the head, the dragon's mouth closes over her.

"What?" Gakupo exclaims. He looks up at the horrific body of the dragon, which had snuck up behind them as they bantered. Desperately, he pulls Meiko's body out of the body, but tug-of-war cannot be won with such a powerful creature. The dragon rears back as Gakupo lets go, and knowing that it has won, tilts its head back and roars to the ceiling. Meiko falls out of its mouth and tumbles toward the ground.

'Oh, thank goodness the dragon didn't eat her. Oh, maybe it's vegetarian?' Gakupo thinks sourly.

"Meiko," Kaito whispers, as he catches her in his arms.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. Please review if you have the time~


	10. Chapter 9

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_Whose smile has been seared into my mind…"_

"Hey, Kaito?" Gakupo huffs out as he escapes the dragon's snapping jaws. "I have several questions."

"Shoot," Kaito chokes out, equally tired and winded.

"Okay. First off, why are we running in circles?"

"No idea," Kaito gives a weak grin.

"Then let's get out of here. Where in our criteria says we have to kill the dragon?" Gakupo's chest heaves up and down as he tries to make up for the oxygen that he just used up.

"Oh, we have criteria we need to follow?"

"Please be serious."

"Oh. Well. Then let's go. All this blood is scaring me." Kaito glances across the cavern. The blood is sprayed over the walls, and was dribbling down slowly. It was a dark, dark red, and in some places, midnight black. There were smear marks from where the dragon thrashed on the stone. It roars, but pitifully this time. Its body parts are strewn across the ground—the eyes, the horns, the claws. They glint in the dim light that the oil lanterns above provide. The eyes looked as if they were staring the dragon's murderers, and the two males felt chills go down their sides.

"Now that the dragon can't see, we seem to be faring a lot better," Gakupo manages to talk between his panting. They creep slowly across the wall, and slow down, breathing in a lungful of air.

"Maybe its hearing is terrible," Kaito mutters out the side of his mouth. "Well, for now, let's retreat."

"You're forgetting Len," Gakupo frowns.

"Oh. Right. That dude." Kaito takes a couple deep breaths and prepared himself mentally and physically for what was about to happen. Gakupo starts to protest but Kaito is already at it. "Len!" he calls repeatedly. "Why is he not responding? Come back, please, Len!" As he screams, the dragon swivels angrily to face them. As it approaches wildly and blindly, the two are already disappearing into the gloom that hung around the cavern's sides.

"Dumb Kaito," Gakupo hisses. "The dragon can hear just fine!"

"We'd never have known until we try," Kaito reasons, as they crabwalk away from the dragon.

"Ugh," Gakupo admits defeat. "In any case, where'd that boy disappear to, anyways? I thought he was right here with Meiko, trying to retrieve his sister."

"Maybe he thought she was somewhere else," Kaito slowly picks apart Len's reasoning. "I'm thinking he disappeared into that dark hole, there." He points, and Gakupo barely distinguishes another opening. "Ah, there he is. He'll come over and the three of us will beat a hasty retreat. The dragon will die on its own, or something."

The blonde head that was Len approached cautiously and stopped just before them.

"I have your sister," Gakupo says tonelessly. "Where were you?"

"Sorry," Len mutters. "And her name is Rin." He takes the girl in his arms and Gakupo breaths a sigh of relief. He rolls his shoulders. As he is doing so, he notices Kaito is still holding Meiko, who has on several pieces of armor.

"Why are girls so heavy?" Kaito mutters darkly.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. Please review if you have the time~


	11. Chapter 10

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_Of the edge of the paradise of façades"_

We make a quit exit out, slipping silently past the dragon, and out of the cavern. I shudder, remembering what my companions had done to the poor creature. There was no doubt that it would die soon, if not from pain, then from blood loss. We were such cruel, cruel people, that we would kill it like this, and leave it to die a lonely, long, bitter death. I close my eyes and tell myself not to bother with the ethics of it all. There aren't morals in the world I live in. There is only killing, bloodshed, and heartbreak. Under no circumstances were any of us allowed to be human; we had learned many years ago that the truth, the barring truth, was that there was no kindness in our society. So be it. All humans lived for themselves. We are selfish beings, and have only a mind for ourselves or our beloved. But other than that…

We are ruthless.

I am in a daze as we set the injured females on the ground. Meiko had took a hit to the head, and a bloody cut runs down her face, from the top of her forehead to where her breastplate covers. It was bleeding easily, and her eye is already swollen closed. Rin is not hurt on her body, but blood dribbles slowly down from her mouth. Her features are twisted in a mask of pain; it looks as if she is bleeding internally. In any case, both of the girls needed immediate medical attention.

"I don't think the dragon can reach here," Gakupo whispers. We are back where we were resting earlier, but Miku is gone. "And, frankly, I'm really worried about Miku. Perhaps she has gone to alert Luka."

"She wouldn't dare," I say angrily. "She can't, not after everything we've done for her."

"Some people's beliefs and loyalties are hard to change, no matter which side seems 'right'," Gakupo counters.

"Please," Kaito says, licking his dry lips. "Don't argue. We are all weak, tired, and in need of rest. I urge you two to go to sleep, and perhaps when you wake, we will be less ill-tempered."

I shake my head; I was not going to sleep until I knew Rin's condition.

"What about Rin? How is she? Will she live?"

Kaito pales. This is not a good sign because I have never seen him so scared before. He is the calm one and the one who comforts us. I gulp nervously, and ask, "So what's wrong?"

Kaito gives a detailed diagnosis: "Rin's bleeding is internal and as I have never dissected a human before in my life, I have no idea where exactly. I do know it is somewhere in her abdominal area. Here, feel it." I deny quickly. "However, it is easy to say that internal bleeding is not easy to treat. In fact," he gulps, "it might be fatal. I only have supplies for surface wounds. I'm afraid…"

"She's going to die," I said breathlessly. Kaito doesn't look at me, and I feel like I've been stabbed in the heart. "No. Don't tell me that. We've risked so much to come here. To fight the dragon, to rescue Rin, and now you're telling me she's going to die? What…you can't tell me that! That's not fair! All of us, we've worked so hard to get here, to get her, and now…now…she's going to die?" I sob quietly, and Gakupo doesn't hesitate to put his arms around me. "Meiko…she's hurt so badly because of this…are we going to be okay…? Will she die too…?"

Kaito, white-lipped, has already started treating Meiko's injuries. He takes off the armor and sees the damage is worse than he expected. There are several puncture wounds, and they bleed heavily. I turn my head into Gakupo's chest and look no further. There was no point in trying to, because Kaito starts diagnosing again. "Several large puncture wounds, a cut on the head, and she's knocked unconscious. Multiple scrapes and bruises. I'm worried for blood loss and whether she'll go into a coma. Her head was hit pretty hard against the wall. And…"

I've started to drift away, tired from my adventure in the caverns. I realize it's greedy of me to do this, to go to sleep while the two that have worked the hardest stay awake. But a couple words from Kaito stir me wide awake.

"Oh my goodness. Meiko's pulse…"

Gakupo shifts to lean over the brunette to check her pulse. He audibly hisses as he breathes in.

"There is none."

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. I have absolutely no medical experience regarding internal bleeding, but that's what it looked like from the music video. If this is wrong, I'm sorry! Also, I used the Internet for the diagnosis, so that might be wrong as well. Other than that, please review if you have the time~


	12. Chapter 11

**I've Found You, Your Smile**

**Synchronicity ~Meguru Sekai no Requiem~**

"_Deep, deep in the bottom of the earth"_

I lunge forward and grab Meiko's wrist. "No, no, no." I shake my head, trying to convince myself that she was still alive. "She's still warm. Does that mean she's still alive?"

"I don't know," Kaito wails. "I don't know, I don't know. She can't be dead, right?" Kaito looks pained, as if he's about to burst into tears any second. He bites his lips and keeps his panic to a minimum. His medical knowledge was enough to tide us through, but he did not know these kinds of things that were too advanced for him.

"Can people still be alive even if they don't have a pulse?" Gakupo muses. "Wait, don't answer that. None of us know, right?"

"No," I answer. "None of us have that kind of experience…"

Gakupo looks increasingly thoughtful. "If only I can remember the books I read…"

"Where's the pulse? How do I find it?" I ask with increasing anxiety. The mere fact that two of my group was about to die, right now, is scaring me beyond my wits. "Kaito? Kaito! Gakupo?"

Gakupo snaps out of it and guides me fingers onto the wrist of my hand. "It's right here," he explains. "You should feel a kind of…thing…kind of…I can't explain it. But you feel it?"

"No. Am I dead?" I ask Gakupo innocently. He glares at me, or as much as he can, as I reach over and tug at Meiko's wrist. "So she can't be dead," I deduce. "So then what is wrong with her?" I feel for her pulse but I can't find it, and I panic again. I'm not alone; Gakupo seems he's disappeared into a different universe, while Kaito's very clearly in this one. He can't stop staring at Meiko, and his face is awash with tears. I'm very frightened for the two of them.

I feel for it again and—what was that? It must be a fluke, I tell myself, but a little part of me knows it's not. Meiko has to be alive, because there was no way we'd go on without her. Kaito would at least commit suicide if he had to live without Meiko. Or, I tell myself reasonably, he'd just get over it, but I didn't think that was the case here. Focusing myself back on Meiko's wrist, I feel for something, anything. But I don't, and despair floods Kaito's face like a starving man that was so close to food but couldn't reach it. He sobs in grief as Gakupo sighs mournfully and pats him awkwardly. As Kaito's tears are splashing all over the place, Gakupo settles down to go to sleep. I curl besides myself sister on the rough ground. Although it was advisable to go towards the entrance and further from the dragon, we couldn't help but let our eyelids slowly droop down.

Wrapping my arm over her, I hold her protectively as I sink into a world of peace. I don't want her to die like Meiko did.

"Hey!" A sharp voice rips us out of our dreams. Gakupo and I stir groggily, our heads aching from our previous adventure. I twist myself slightly to see the person who had spoken. "What are you guys doing on the floor? Did you…kill the dragon?"

"Lady Miku! Welcome back," Gakupo says warmly. "Where were you?"

She holds up a book in response and smiles weakly. "I was going to help you, but I suppose the dragon is dead now?"

Gakupo sighs regretfully. "No, we could not kill it completely, so we have retreated to rest and tend to our comrades."

Miku frowns. "I see." She gives no more commentary as she flips through the old, thick tome. She kneels down besides Rin, and I sit up quickly to receive her. It only takes several moments until Rin's face relaxes and she looks as if she's in peace. Before I could say anything, the girl announces, "Your sister is not dead."

My face instantly loses its grimace, and I am so elated that I can meet my sister.

Sitting back with a sigh, the mage flips through the tomes again.

"So…" Gakupo says warily. "Lady Miku, are you still going to help us kill the dragon?"

She looks up in surprise. It is obvious she is debating internally whether to return the favor that she owes to strangers, or destroy the creature that had kept her in captivity for so long.

"Of course."

Gakupo and I exchange glances. As we stand, I say, "Better now than never."

**A/N: **Disclaimer: song lyrics belong to HitoshizukuP. Vocaloid characters belong to Yamaha Co., Crypton Future Media, Internet Co., Ltd., and other companies. Please review if you have the time~


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